Getting there is half the fun

Sep 23, 08 | 1:56 am

Traffic jams, boring motorways, grim service-station sandwiches... we know how you love a good road trip. But it doesn't have be a long hard slog every time you set off on a ‘relaxing' weekend away by car: the boutique hotel specialists at Mr & Mrs Smith along with Lightmaker Manchester and Saab have created an innovative, interactive online Route Planner, to make sure that getting there is half the fun. 

Sponsored by Saab, the Route Planner is based on the idea of tailor-made, experiential UK road trips. It allows you to plot some of the most inspiring motoring routes on the way to your stylish Smith-hotel stay. It's a nifty tool that lets you map your own trip from A to B, and select added extras on your route. The tool is part of a wider campaign with Saab, which encourages you to enhance your traveling experience and make the most of your journey by drawing on Mr & Mrs Smith's tried-and-tested selection of the best gastro-pubs and restaurants to stop off at, highlighting the best sights to see, and the best boutique hotels to bed down in for the night.

Using Microsoft Virtual Earth's mapping technology, including road data and aerial imagery, Lightmaker Manchester built a number of features into the Route Planner, including the option to avoid motorways and take a more scenic route.   The Virtual Earth map is also overlaid with specially selected information for Smith customers, pinpointing practical pit stops from petrol stations to picnic spots.

Plot your route and the results (including detailed driving directions) can be printed out to use on the road for the trip ahead, or sent as an email so you can invite a companion to enjoy the ride. 

The route planner is easy to use, and Smith customers can drag, scroll and zoom in and out of the interactive maps effortlessly.   The Virtual Earth map is seamlessly integrated with the Mr & Mrs Smith website, using animation to bring the route planner to life.

‘Our challenge was to build a route planner that was easy to use, and as stylish as the rest of our brand. Virtual Earth mapping not only looks great, but is also extremely user-friendly. We thought it offered better coverage than some of its competitors, and the street-level information is incredibly practical.'

Tamara Heber-Percy Director, Mr & Mrs Smith

‘Online maps are becoming an increasingly popular and dynamic feature for leisure and travel websites as companies seek new ways to interact with their customers,' said Vikas Arora, Solutions Specialist at Microsoft Virtual Earth.  ‘We're delighted that Mr & Mrs Smith has chosen to integrate Virtual Earth mapping technology to create this original route planner.  It's a great example of how online mapping can be used creatively to enhance the customer relationship, providing  a fantastic leisure experience, from the moment they start their car, to their boutique hotel and back.'

Colette Casey, Manager Strategic ATL Communications, Saab says, "at Saab, we continue to seek out new ways to provide our customers with a unique driving experience and this innovative partnership provides the tools for the independent thinking our customers demand whilst being fun and informative."

Test the Route Planner for yourself: visit www.mrandmrssmith.com/routeplanner

For more information about Microsoft Virtual Earth: visit www.microsoft.com/virtualearth

About Mr & Mrs Smith

Mr & Mrs Smith produces best-selling hotel guidebooks and provides a free, expert bookig service for a cherry-picked selection of more than 400 boutique hotels around the globe. View the full list of hotels in the collection at www.mrandmrssmith.com

Having evolved from a publisher to a full boutique-hotel provider and luxury travel specialist, Mr & Mrs Smith has embraced all aspects of technology - including working with BlackBerry to build a GPS- compatible, fully mobile boutique-hotel finder that locates your nearest available hotel room.     

The Route Planner was sponsored by Saab to showcase a partnership based on two independent-thinking brands:

About Lightmaker Manchester

Lightmaker is a professional services agency that has been creating award-winning interactive experiences the world over since 1997. The Lightmaker Manchester office is now over 4 years old, with a team of 25, servicing a strong client base located all over the world. Innovative design and technical teams allow Lightmaker to push the boundaries of what is possible in all of their digital projects.

About Saab

Saab was founded in Sweden in 1937 as Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget (Swedish Aircraft Company), revealing the prototype for its first aircraft-inspired passenger car in 1947.  Now, 60 years later, Saab is still recognised as the premium car manufacturer for independent-minded drivers. Saab is GM's European premium brand, reflecting a unique Scandinavian design ethic, fused with a strong aircraft-engineering heritage.